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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to archery bow servicing equipment and, more particularly, to a bow vice that is easily leveled and that facilitates easy movement of the attached bow into various orientations.
2. Discussion of the Background
Archery bows often require adjustment, repair, tuning of their strings, and other servicing. During such servicing, the bow must be orientated in a variety of positions to facilitate performing the necessary servicing. A bow vice is often used to hold the archery bow when performing such servicing, which may include attaching the bow sight to the bow or adjusting the bow sight. As is well-known to archers, the bow sight typically includes a bow sight level to ensure that the bow sight is horizontally level in the bow sight plane, which is the left to right plane from the user""s perspective when holding the bow for shooting. The bow sight plane is shown as 706 in FIG. 9 and arrow B indicates the directions the user would tilt the bow to level the bow in the bow sight plane. If the bow sight is not level in the bow sight plane, the arrow may veer to the left or right when the user shoots an arrow with the bow at an object that has been targeted through the bow sight.
As is well-known to those skilled in the art, the bow sight is intended to be attached to the bow in a perfectly perpendicular fashion so that regardless of the orientation of the bow, the bow sight will be perpendicular to the bow. However, due to imperfections in the manufacturing process of the bow sight, the bow, and/or the attachment mechanism, while the bow sight is often attached so that it is horizontal when the bow is vertical, it is actually extending slightly forward of the bow sight plane or extending slightly behind the bow sight plane.
FIG. 10a is a schematical representation of three bow sights 707, 708, and 709 with the bow vertically oriented along bow plane 705. As is shown in FIG. 10a, all three bow sights are horizontally level since they are perfectly aligned with the horizontal plane 710 and perpendicular to bow plane 705. Thus, each bow sight is perfectly horizontal with the bow when the bow is oriented vertically. However, as shown in FIG. 10b (which is a planar view looking down at the intersections of the bow sight plane 706 and the bow plane 705), bow sight 707 extends slightly forward of the bow sight plane 706 and bow sight 708 extends slightly behind the bow sight plane 706. If the user with bow sight 708 tilts the bow downward to shoot the bow, the bow sight 708 moves out of the horizontal plane 710, extending upward out of the horizontal plane 710 as shown in FIG. 10c. Similarly, if the user with bow sight 707 tilts the bow downward to shoot the bow, the bow sight 707 moves out of the horizontal plane 710, extending downward out of the horizontal plane 710. Only bow sight 709, which is horizontal (FIG. 10a) and also extending on the perpendicular bow sight plane (FIG. 10b), remains horizontal when tilting the bow downward. Although not shown in the figures, tilting the bow upward would produce similar results with bow sight 708 extending downward out of the horizontal plane, bow sight 707 extending upward out of the horizontal plane, and bow sight 709 remaining in the horizontal plane.
Thus, with respect to bow sights 707 and 708, when the user tilts the bow up or down (as is often the case), the bow sights will no longer be horizontal to the bow and would therefore provide the user with an inaccurate targeting mechanism. Only bow sight 709, which was been leveled in both planes, would provide an accurate targeting mechanism with the bow in any orientation. The present invention provides a convenient and easy mechanism for leveling the bow sight in both planes.
A number of different devices for holding bows are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,655 to Chelf discloses a device for stringing archery bows. The device includes a pair of oppositely directed, upwardly and outwardly disposed support arms, notched at their outer ends to receive the limbs of the bow inwardly of their outer ends to hold them supported while the grip portion of the bow is depressed whereby the nock ends are sufficiently drawn together to permit easy stringing.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,576 to Morey et al. is directed to an archery bow alignment device and method. More specifically, the device holds a compound bow in either a vertical orientation for positioning of the nocking point or a horizontal orientation for positioning of the arrow shelf, sights, and pulleys. These placements are performed with the use of levels, plumb bobs, and the like in conjunction with the holding device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,110 to Scarpa discloses still another prior art device for holding and positioning an archery bow, which permits positioning of an archery bow relative to a pair of orthogonal axes for performing various servicing activities. The disclosed device permits the user to pivot the attached bow over a limited range from vertical by untightening and then subsequently tightening a knob. In addition, the device permits the user to pivot the clamp mount and attached bow up from the table mount a limited degree by untightening and then tightening a wing nut.
The designs of existing and conventional bow vices are deficient in that, inter alia, such designs have not permitted ease of attachment of the bow, easy movement of the bow in different planes, or easy horizontal leveling of the vice. Further, such existing and conventional bow vices do not facilitate leveling of the bow sight with the bow in various orientations.
The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art described above by providing a leveling vice that permits leveling of the vice in the horizontal plane.
A key objective of the present invention is to provide a vice that facilitates leveling the bow sight with the bow in various orientations.
Another key objective of the present invention is to provide a vice that is adapted to hold and easily move a bow over a three hundred and sixty (360) degree range.
Still another key object of the present invention is to provide a method of setting up a bow.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vice that permits a user to work on the bow in any orientation.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a bow vice that is easy to use and economical to manufacture.
Accordingly, one example of the present invention accomplishes the above by having a base with a plurality of securing holes and having a base pocket on a first surface; a pivoting block having an attachment member for holding an object and having a pivot pocket on a first surface; a ball bearing disposed in said base pocket and said pivot pocket and holding said pivoting block and said base apart in spaced apart relation to each other; and a plurality of pivot bolts having a first end attached to said pivoting block and a second end attached to said base, said plurality of pivot bolts configured to pivot said pivoting block with respect to said base in the horizontal plane to thereby level said pivot block.
Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.